Wild Eye Releasing has announced an October 27th DVD release date for the latest horror anthology on the proverbial block, The Horror Network. Read on for details, artwork, and more.

Brian Dorton and Douglas Conner have created the film with segments directed by Dorton, Joseph Graham, Manuel Marín, Lee Matthews, and Ignacio Martín Lerma.

Synopsis:Serial killers, ghostly phone calls, inner demons, otherworld monsters, and creepy stalkers collide in this frightening anthology. Five of horror’s most promising new directing talents join forces to pay homage to classics like Creepshow, Tales from the Crypt, V/H/S, and ABCs of Death and weave an unforgettable, disturbing tapestry of terror.

House By The Video Store has created a very cool mashup by taking several scenes, including the infamous shower murder, from Alfred Hitchock’s Psycho and replacing Bernard Herrmann’s phenomenal score with the music of Disasterpeace from the film It Follows, pulling off a movie they call the “Soundtrack Swap”.

HBTVS write, “Two films 54 years apart each take on a slightly new life when their soundtracks are exchanged.”

What’s really cool is that not only did Disasterpeace’s music get put on Psycho but Bernard Herrmann’s score was placed on It Follows and it works surprisingly well! I’m sure there are films where swapping out soundtracks wouldn’t work in the slightest but this isn’t one of those times. In fact, this is a very clever and exciting way to explore how music can have a tremendous impact on a scene.

In a chat with Marc Maron on the WTF Podcast, “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman opened up about the plans and visions he has for the show, noting that he has a clear idea of where the series is heading.

Kirkman stated in the podcast:

It’s a very popular show, and [the executives at AMC] seem to want it to go for fifty seasons. And it may go for fifty seasons, but there is definitely an end point at some point. The idea is that this story that’s longer than it has any business being, but it’s that length and watching those characters evolve over that time that’s gonna make it be this piece, that when it’s all done, you’ll look back on it and be like ‘what the hell, I thought they were just killing zombies. There’s totally an arc here and a thing going on, and I didn’t think the story was about this!

I do hope that “The Walking Dead’ goes on long enough that when it ends, it’s like, ‘good thing we took care of those zombies.’

People talk about how ‘The Walking Dead’s’ very bleak, and if you take a certain cross-section of the story, yeah, it’s horrible. People [are] getting their loved ones eaten and they’re having a horrible time. But I see the story from beginning to end, over many, many years, so I think it’s a very hopeful story about humanity overcoming this insurmountable, apocalyptic situation… it’s just gonna take them a long time to do it.

As we reported last year, the team behind the hit show are already well ahead of the curve, stating that they know what’s going to happen in season 12, even though we’re only just now entering the sixth season.

Nu-metal titans Korn have announced that they will be embarking on a US headlining tour for nearly the entirety of October. The tour kicks off October 1st in Chicago and will wrap up on the 30th in Oakland. Support will come from Suicide Silence and Islander.

Korn will be touring in support of their last album, The Paradigm Shift, which came out October of 2013.

I’m that weird guy who loves rock and metal and just could never get into Korn for the life of me. They have a few songs here and there that I really enjoy but, overall, they don’t do a damn thing for me. And having seen them live at a few festivals, I’ll say that their live show also disappoints. If you’re a fan, enjoy. If not, stay away.

Capcom has made a significant effort to update their older titles, including the early entries in the Resident Evil series that had a monumental impact on shaping the horror genre into what it is today.

Remasters have become so popular lately because they’re profitable, thanks largely to their being cheap to make and having pre-installed audiences. It’s why we’ll soon be seeing a prettier Resident Evil 0, and eventually, I’m sure, a revisit to arguably the best game in the series.

If Capcom is ever going to remake one of their games — as in rebuild it from the ground up, as opposed to a remaster, which rarely means more than a fresh coat of paint — chances are Resident Evil 2 is going to get the VIP treatment. A remake/remaster is inevitable, but both will take time. Lucky for us, we have Resident Evil 2: Reborn.

Reborn is a Unreal Engine 4-powered fan remake of the now 17 year-old game that’s been in development for a long time, relatively speaking. Its alpha is slated for a release this summer, and like the “official” release, the alpha will be available for free.

Cruel, the directorial debut of celebrated crime novelist Eric Cherrière, takes an interesting approach to the serial killer film. As the title suggests, its killer, Pierre Tardieu, is a cruel man, but Cherrière’s somber film looks to explore how he turned into a monster and what his horrific acts do to him emotionally. Though there are scenes of brutality (more suggestive than graphic), the most disturbing aspect of Cruel may be that in the end, Pierre just wants what everyone else wants: to be loved and to be recognized for his work. His work involves abducting and murdering people, sure, but Pierre works hard at it, goddammit!

Pierre (Jean-Jacques Lelté) lives a life of isolation. Through home videos and voiceovers, we learn of his early aspirations – where he wanted to go in life, how he wanted to marry his mother. Now grown, he bounces between temp jobs and takes care of his dad, who has crippling Alzheimer’s. His dad is the only one Pierre confides in. Knowing he can’t speak, Pierre goes into detail about his latest victims. There’s no sense of pleasure in his voice, however. Lelté effectively portrays the human side alongside Pierre’s murderous one. Sometimes his face is a blank state. other times there’s a rage boiling just under the surface.

In a lot of serial killer tales, the killer has some kind of quirk or song and dance routine to make them stand out in the milieu of pop culture. That’s why I love that Pierre is just a normal, bummed out guy who finds a release in murder. After doing his research, Pierre keeps his victims alive in his cellar for a short time. He talks with them, feeds them, even offering a hearty last meal before disposing of them.

It initially seems like Pierre is toying with his victims. He talks to them and delivers taunts about the life he took away from them. But I read it more as a pseudo-therapy session. Pierre is trying to tap into what it is that makes them happy and why they believe that happiness is worthwhile. When he abducts a man who’s expecting his first child, Pierre asks him “You think being a father is important? Will it make you happy?” Possibly by abducting these more successful, fulfilled people he believes he can find the root of his own depression.

Salvation comes in the form of Laure (Magali Moreau), a romantic interest whose presence manages to quell his thirst for blood. As their relationship grows and Pierre begins to imagine a new future for himself, his years of killing finally come back to haunt him. When he’s with her, he seems genuinely content. But can a film titled Cruel have a happy ending? No. The final moments are heart wrenching.

There are times when it feels like Cherrière is favoring mood over substance. The film drags its feet a bit with long sequences of Pierre brooding. A few of these moments could use some trimming to move the story along. At times they took me out of the narrative rather than further into it.

Cruel is a relentlessly bleak film. We stay inside Pierre’s head for the entire duration and it’s a suffocating place of anguish. The gloomy cinematography and the performances all heighten this bummer vibe while also creating a suspenseful tone that threatens to snap our senses at any moment. When the cops come sniffing around, there film threatens to descend into formulaic genre territory. This never happens, thankfully. Cruel remains a dense, murky character study throughout.

With both a new season of “The Walking Dead” and the kick off of “Fear The Walking Dead” happening this year, more people than ever think they’re ready in the event that a zombie apocalypse should occur. But do these people really understand that goes into surviving? The kind of mentality you need in order to ensure the survival of not only yourself but also of those around you? Or what if you need to make a serious sacrifice, one that will haunt you to your very last day?

This week’s quiz asks those kinds of questions, determining your mindset, the paths you’d take, and the choices you’d make to see if you’re prepared enough for the zombie apocalypse!

I took the quiz and was given a 50% shot at making it through, which aren’t terrible odds. However, I know myself well enough to recognize where my weaknesses are and where I would probably falter. Still, I feel like I’d make it a hefty way through and take out more than a few zombies along the way!

When asked about the inspiration for the art and design Kurt Volk, El Rey Network’s VP, Creative Director, commented, “Santánico’stwo headed snake is the perfect symbol for the divide between the Gecko brothers who have split up in season 2 — two heads of the same beast who, like it or not, are forever connected to one another.”

Deadline is reporting that Robbie Amell (“The Flash”) and Lauren Ambrose (Psycho Beach Party) have signed on as Agent Miller and Agent Einstein, respectively, in the upcoming six-episode 10th season of Fox’s “The X-Files“. They will both be appearing in one episode, although it hasn’t been determined which episode or what their roles mean.

I remember seeing Lauren Ambrose in Psycho Beach Party and really enjoying her performance. I haven’t seen her in Six Feet Under but I know that people absolutely adore that show, so she’s got a good following from that. As for Amell, I don’t think I’ve seen a single thing he’s been in, so this will be my first experience checking out his skills.

The series returns to Fox on January 24th, 2016. You can see 15-seconds of all-new footage below.

On September 1st, Anchor Bay Entertainment goes full 80s retro with Lost After Dark, a loving but harrowing homage that takes audiences back to the decade when slashers ruled the silver screen. We now have a look at the trailer from the directing debut of writer/director Ian Kessner, which is said to feature visceral, old-school prosthetic “kills,” and pop songs pulsing to an electronic beat.

“Spring Ball, 1984. Adrienne (Kendra Timmins, Midnight Sun, “Wingin’ It”), a straight-A student, joins her quarterback crush Sean (Justin Kelly, Maps To The Stars, Big Muddy) and some friends in sneaking out of their high school dance for some unsupervised mayhem. The teens’ party plans hit a snag when they run out of gas on a deserted road. They head out on foot and discover a rundown farmhouse where they hope to find help. Instead they find themselves at the mercy of Junior Joad (Mark Wiebe, Sweet Karma), a cannibal killer from an urban legend. After the brutal murder of one of their friends, the group’s quest for help becomes one of survival. Will anyone survive the night?”

The film stars Elijah Wood (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings), Rainn Wilson (The Office), and Alison Pill (The Newsroom) as teachers who fight to survive the mayhem while hilariously bickering in an uncomfortable love triangle on the worst Monday of their lives.

Anchor Bay Films will release The Curse of Downer’s Grove in theaters on August 21st and on VOD, DVD and Blu-ray on September 1st.

Directed by Direck Martini, and taking place near my hometown in Illinois, the film is based on a true story. Bloody Disgusting inow has the trailer for the pic, which stars Lucas Till, Bella Heathcote, Penelope Mitchell, Kevin Zegers, and Tom Arnold!

“The town of Downers Grove looks like your average suburban neighborhood — but Downers Grove has a disturbing secret…. For the past eight years, one senior from every high school graduating class has met a bizarre death right before graduation day. And this year, Chrissie Swanson (Bella Heathcote) has a terrible feeling that she is going to be the one to die. Can Chrissie survive the curse of Downers Grove or will she, like those seniors before her, fall prey to the town’s deadly secret?“

We’ve teamed up with avant-garde rock group Sex BBQ to bring you the exclusive song premiere of “Powerlines Pt. 2″, which comes from the groups upcoming album Sex Noir City. Not only can you listen to the song below but you’re also able to download it for free! Just click on the ‘Download’ button in the Soundcloud player.

The track is incredibly mysterious and is the second of two tracks on the album to feature vocals by keyboardist Laura Palmer, who I hope isn’t wrapped in plastic. It’s a very sexy, coy track that builds in intensity yet never erupts, sinuously weaving its discordant and dissonant melodies into something alluring and fascinating. It feels like something one would hear in a smoky bar in the 30’s, the singer dressed in a sparkling red sequin dress and illuminated by a single spotlight, the band hidden in shadows behind her.

Lyrically, the song is incredibly dark and morbid, telling tales of murder, violence, and pain. Member Steve Albertson goes into detail below.

Sex Noir City comes out August 28th via Muckman Records. You can pre-order the album via Bandcamp.

Steve Albertson explains “Powerline Pt. 2″ in great detail:

“Powerlines Pt. 2″ is a reworking of the original “Powerlines Pt. 1.” It strips the psychedelic circus feel of Pt. 1 down to a theatrical creepshow of violence and apprehension. Lyrically, the song is about growing up in my hometown of Waukegan, Ill., and the people who didn’t make it out as unscathed as I did—people who were caught up in gangbanging mayhem, one who killed another kid with a hammer, another who cut someone’s throat at a quinceañera while he was on the run from the cops who’d raided his house for selling guns. We were skaters, punks and thugs. There were a lot of random fights. One day while we were skating, a brawl broke out between random gangs—our friends, and not our friends—and at the end of it, one of the guys on our side had his head ripped open after getting beaten with a garbage can. Things like this happened on a regular basis.

Waukegan is about 45 minutes north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. It’s right next to Great Lakes Naval base, where every Navy recruit has to go at some point, and they’re told specifically not to visit Waukegan because it’s too dangerous. It’s the birthplace of Jack Benny & Ray Bradbury, and its gangster shit is different from Chicago. Instead of having your few blocks, you’ve got these roving groups that go looking for violence against the other guys almost just because. There’s a culture of gangbanging that is passed down from older relatives, friends and even parents. I remember playing “violation” as a little kid, taking turns play-beating each other for breaking gang rules. As I grew up, I avoided as much gang stuff as I could, but a lot of my childhood friends went full in.

The idea of the powerlines comes from the fact that there’s a power plant on the lake, and the powerlines stretch from there all the way through the center of town. I lived right next to this long stretch, and I’d always imagine a long line of Jesuses hanging from each post all the way down the line. And as I got older, I always felt the city was damned. I moved to Chicago right after high school and never looked back. The town and my friends who still live there are deep in my heart, but I won’t ever move back.

“Powerlines Pt. 2” I think captures this bittersweet feeling better than Pt. 1, especially with Laura’s powerful voice and the dramatic piano parts. SEX BBQ has always been a band where everyone is given a chance to contribute equally, and that’s how Pt. 2 came about. It works as a reprise of—and an ending to—the suite. Pt. 1’s music is almost celebratory, while Pt. 2 is more of a descent into hell. The original had lines like, “prison walls are painted with these dark saints’ willing blood,” as a nearly literal take on my friends who have gone to jail for a long time for some brutal crimes. Whereas Pt. 2 takes a more metaphorical, literary approach focusing on the descent of Dante’s Inferno, and the alluring yet deadly gazes of Cleopatra and Medusa.

PopVinyl is stating that Funko’s Pop Vinyl series will be getting a hefty dose of The Exorcist‘s Pazuzu in the form of a Regan figure! The toy shows Regan in her final possessed form, coated in green vomit, her skin a disgusting shade of chartreuse, her wrists still bearing the restraints that held her to the bed.

It’s a really cute little figure and horror collectors will definitely enjoy this one when it goes on sale this October.

It’s no secret that the first season of FX’s vampire series The Strain was a disappointment. It was a case of the advertisements being better than the show itself, which is disappointing but not surprising, considering the novels the series is based on are no great works of art themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the books were a fun summer read, but in no way would I call them good. What irked me about the series is that many of the problems that the books had are still present in the series. To me, one of the goals of a film or television adaptation of a series of novels would be to take the worst parts of said novels and improve upon them. The Strain only did that in one area: they killed off Nora’s mother way before it happened in the books (and she was awful in the books). Now that the series has had some time to think about what it’s done, it returns to us with a second (and hopefully improved) season.

First, let’s look at some of The Strain’s most crippling problems:

The Humans Are Boring, Unrealistic And Make Stupid Decisions

I kept trying to convince myself last season that I liked the characters in The Strain. The Season 2 premiere made me realize how wrong I was. I actively despise nearly every human character on the show (Setrakian and Fet being the only two likable ones). With the premiere, the majority of the focus was on The Master’s origin (in a sequence expertly directed by Guillermo Del Toro) and Setrakian. Once anything shifted to Nora and Eph, the episode turned to shit (and I’m an Alias fan, so I love Mia Maestro). We all know characters makes stupid decisions in horror movies, but The Strain overdoes it. It took weeks for people to start noticing there was a vampire virus infecting people all over New York City, people hang on to their loved ones knowing their chances of survival would be better if they left them behind (Nora and Zach), the show expects us to care about certain characters we’ve barely spent any time with (I still can’t believe we got an entire late-season episode devoted to Kelly Goodweather’s demise), and, worst of all, the characters are annoying.

There Is Too Much Wheel-Spinning

I fully believe this is a consequence of stretching out a 400-page novel into a 13-episode season, but that is why The Strain should have 10 (or less) episodes in a season. Under the Domeis over 1,000 pages and even that could barely mine enough material to fill a 13-episode season (much less the 2 seasons that followed it, which deviated heavily and are still terrible). That being said, there were so many scenes in the first season that could have easily been cut. I’m all for a slow burn, but let’s not kid ourselves here: Hannibal this is not. The Strain is a glorified B-movie, and when it embraces those aspects of itself, it can be great. When it tries to be serious (which is where a lot of the aforementioned wheel-spinning comes into play), it’s actively terrible. Part of my impatience with these scenes may be because, as a book reader, I know where the show is going. Seeing it waste so much time on meaningless characters (or romantic sub-plots) is frustrating. What do you think? Am I being too harsh?

The Master Looks Terrible

I’m all for practical makeup effects, but The Master is embarrassing. It looks like he just had his lips done. Seriously, just look at this thing:

Zach

What irks me about this one is that they actually recast Ben Hyland,who was terrible in the first season (I’m sorry! I know he’s a child actor, but he was bad). So they were actually trying to improve in this particular area, but if Max Charles’ performance in the season 2 premiere is any indication, he might actually be worse than Hyland. Granted, this is mostly because the character of Zach is written as the most insufferable pre-teen to ever exist on film. This kid has seen his mother in vampire form, yet still insists that his father go find her so they can be a family again. Um, what?

These are just some of the most obvious issues plaguing The Strain (sorry), and I think they’re easy to fix. I actually enjoyed the Season 2 premiere more than Jess did, but the show still has a lot of work to do. It’s on the right track, but it essentially boils down to making the humans relatable, likable and, most importantly, smarter. A faster pace wouldn’t hurt either (or a shorter episode order for next season). Oh, and get rid of Zach, stat. Those of you who did read the books know what’s in store for him though…

In conclusion, I have this to say to The Strain: It shouldn’t feel like a chore to watch a TV show, and sometimes you do. Fix yourself. I want to like you. I really do! Please stop making it difficult.

What do you all think? Did you give up on the first season like I did (I stopped watching after seven episodes and only recently binged the final six)? Or do you think I’m completely in the wrong and that the show is brilliant? Let me know in the comments below?

P.S. What happened to Bolivar’s manager (Regina King)? Did they really bring her on board for 3 episodes and not even kill her? She just got away? What a waste of a talented actress.

“It seemed like a great idea when all-around nice guy Max (Yelchin) and his beautiful girlfriend, Evelyn (Greene) moved in together. But when Evelyn turns out to be a controlling, manipulative nightmare, Max knows it’s time to call it quits. There’s just one problem: he’s terrified of breaking up with her. Fate steps in when Evelyn is the victim of a fatal, freak accident, leaving Max single and ready to mingle. Just as Max is thinking about moving on with what could be his dream girl, Olivia (Daddario) – Evelyn has returned from the grave and is determined to get her boyfriend back…even if that means transforming him into one of the undead.”

Helena Mattsson (Iron Man 2, Seven Psychopaths) is the latest to check into “American Horror Story: Hotel,” the mnext season of the FX anthology series. She plays Agnetha in the premiere episode, set for October.

Synapse Films started the week off with a pleasant surprise via their Facebook page when they announced that they will be releasing Massacre at Central High on DVD and Blu-ray sometime in 2016. Per the post Synapse has already begun work on a completed HD transfer supervised by director Rene Daalder. Synapse is still tracking down the original audio elements and will be doing some additional picture restoration. No word yet on what extras will be included but we can certainly expect that there will be plenty.

Needless to say, this is pretty fantastic news. Anytime a cult film can be saved from the trash heap and carried over to the beautiful world of HD movie lovers everywhere should find reason to celebrate. And if Synapse is the company responsible, all the better.

Synopsis:

A high school transfer student, pushed to the edge by a trio of brutal bullies, resorts to murder to reclaim the school from oppression, and later turns against the students wanting to fill the vacuum of their oppressors.

Some Call It Loving is the first Blu-ray/DVD release from Etiquette Pictures, the new label from the wonderful people at Vinegar Syndrome. This is a wonderful release that showcases exactly what Etiquette plans to represent going forward. If there’s an issue to be had here, its how exactly Etiquette plans to top this going forward with future releases.

Released in 1973, Some Call It Loving was written and directed by James B. Harris and based off John Collier’s short story, “Sleeping Beauty.” The story follows a woman (Tisa Farrow) who has been asleep for 8 years as part of a carnival attraction. For just $1 lucky lads can line up and kiss the woman in an attempt to see if they have what it takes to wake the beauty from her slumber. Zalman King plays Robert Troy, a wealthy jazz musician who becomes fascinated by the sleeping beauty. After some negotiating, Troy agrees to buy the sleeping beauty.

Once home Troy waits for the beauty to awaken. After a day or two the sleeping beauty awakes and simply says, “Hello.” Some Call It Loving downplays everything. Troy’s world is a bizarre and unique place filled with fantasy and games, but it’s treated very nonchalant, like it’s all very commonplace. Immediately after the beauty awakes and exchanges greetings with Troy the film cuts to Scarlett (Carol White) and Angelica (Veronica Anderson), two girls that live with Troy, dressed as nuns putting on a performance for Troy and the beauty, who we learn is named Jennifer. The performance is almost like a comedy routine or variety act. Just as it’s about to kick it up a notch to something a bit more provocative, Troy cuts the girls off. Despite Jennifer’s wish to continue watching, Troy suggests that she’s already seen enough for the day and puts her to bed.

The entire film plays out this way. No matter what strange things happen, Jennifer questions none of it. She goes on to explain that after being asleep for so long it’s difficult sometimes to distinguish dreams from reality. Jennifer’s thought is, “Since I’m here, I’m supposed to be here.” Harris plays with this idea throughout the movie. We never really are sure what’s a dream, what’s reality and what’s a game that is being played.

Sadly it was largely ignored in the US upon it’s initial release. I think this bending of reality might explain part of that. I don’t think people knew what to make of it other than it was an odd piece of arthouse cinema directed by Stanley Kubrick’s producer and starring Mia Farrow’s little sister. That’s a shame because the film deals with a fairly taboo subject and creates beautiful film.

Some Call It Loving is a love story about role playing. At no point does Harris come out and directly tell the audience this, but he hints at it in subtle and not so subtle fashion throughout. There are two big scenes that really lend to this. The first is when Scarlett and Angelica are performing as nuns. After Troy puts Jennifer to bed, he returns to Scarlett and Angelica who are frozen in the exact poses they were in when he cut them off. He turns the music back on and the girls continue exactly where they left off as the game continues. The second moment is actually two scenes. The first occurs early in the movie when Troy and Scarlett are at the dinner table. Angelica comes at serves them dressed as a maid. Later the same exact scene plays out with Jennifer replacing Angelica in the maid role.

This playing with dreams and reality is a bit of a double edged sword. While it does add a bit more intrigue and even style into the storytelling, allowing the viewer to take a bit more control, it also lends to making things a little complicated and clunky at times. Even with that being said, Harris made the right move. With this approach he was able to make a highly sexualized movie without being so in your face about it.

Farrow has an innocence about her that is quite perfect for the role. To be sleeping beauty one must have an innocent perfection. Being 22 at the time made this very easy for Farrow to pull off. It’s helped by the fact that her co-stars, King and White, are both 10 years older than her.

Richard Pryor’s performance as Jeff cannot go unnoticed. Jeff is an unstable man that hangs out at the jazz club where Troy performs. We’re never quite sure what Jeff’s issue is, but it’s clear that there has been some drug and alcohol abuse. Despite the obvious differences between the two, Jeff and Troy are best friends. Troy does his best to take care of Jeff. He buys him his medicine and tries to keep an eye on him to make sure he’s doing alright. I don’t know if people truly realize how good of an actor Pryor was, but Some Call It Loving is a shining example of his talents.

The wonderful cinematography of Mario Tosi must also be noted. BD fans will of course know Tosi’s work from Carrie. Here Tosi delivers a gorgeous looking film, highlighted by Etiquette’s splendid Blu-ray release.

What fascinates me most about Some Call It Loving is the impact I think it had on star Zalman King. This was a fairly early acting role for King, who up until this point had mostly done TV shows and it was years before he would get into writing and directing. When looking at this movie, it really seems to be the template for what would later become the bulk of King’s work. Things like Red Shoe Diaries seem to take influence from Some Call It Loving. I wonder if this is what launched King down that path, or would he have eventually gotten there?

Like with most Vinegar Syndrome releases, this first release from Etiquette Pictures is pretty loaded in the extras department. The packaging features a reversible cover with the original French art on the backside. The disc itself features two video featurettes, one with Harris and one with Tossi, a commentary track with Harris for the feature film and outtakes. For a debut release, you really can’t ask for much more.

IGN introduces Liza (Elizabeth Rodriguez) and Christopher (Lorenzo James Henrie) in AMC’s forthcoming “Fear the Walking Dead,” set to premiere August 23rd.

In addition, EW released the above shot from “Fear the Walking Dead,” which takes us back to the beginning of the zombie apocalypse – a time when the world was changing rapidly for reasons unknown, before anyone understood exactly what was happening, when life as everyone knew it was upended and altered in ways no one could have ever imagined.

In this new image, we see dating couple Travis (Cliff Curtis) and Madison (Kim Dickens) along with Madison’s children Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Nick (Frank Dillane).

Liza and Christopher are Travis’ ex-wife and son, respectively, and below are official descriptions for both characters:

Christopher Manawa is a rebellious teenager with a cause. He has both his father’s do-good attitude and his mother’s edge. The product of divorced parents, Christopher often feels that he and his mother are his father’s forgotten family. He resents his father’s insistence on bringing the two families closer because he wants nothing more than to break away from the Clarks and be his father’s sole priority.

Liza Ortiz is a single mother working to put herself through nursing school – she has no time for b.s. For many years she was trapped in an unhappy marriage, but now that she’s on her own she’s finally chasing her dream. Liza is a multi-tasking whirlwind that doesn’t give herself any breaks when it comes to her future or raising her son.

“Fear the Walking Dead” stars Kim Dickens (Gone Girl, “Sons of Anarchy”) as Madison, Cliff Curtis (“Missing,” “Gang Related”) as Travis, Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) as Nick and Alycia Debnam-Carey (Into the Storm) as Alicia. Also joining the cast as series regulars are Elizabeth Rodriguez (“Orange is the New Black”) as Liza and Mercedes Mason (Quarantine 2: Terminal) as Ofelia.

The show’s first season will consist of six one-hour episodes. The second season will air in 2016.